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Katie Woolf spoke with Captain Thomas deVries, the Strategic Communications Officer for Marine Rotational Force · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Haysh right now and you may have seen well marines
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: around the top end the Marie Rotational Force Darwin twenty
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: twenty one has been in town. And joining me in
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  Speaker 1: the studio right now is Captain Thomas Devrees, the Strategic
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: Communications Officer fort Marine Rotational Force for Darwin this year.
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: Good morning to you, Thomas.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning Katie. How are you?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah? Really well, great to have you in the studio.
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  Speaker 1: How many marines have we had in the top ends
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: oring Darwin in recent times?
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  Speaker 2: Well, for this year we had just over two thousand
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  Speaker 2: marines and sailors to join the Marine Rotational Force Darman
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  Speaker 2: for twenty twenty one.
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  Speaker 1: And have we been welcoming? How has it been?
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  Speaker 2: Oh, it's been amazing. This community has always been for
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  Speaker 2: years past up until now, the most welcoming community that
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  Speaker 2: I think rually marines and sailors have ever been to.
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  Speaker 2: And it's just it always surprises, astonishes and impresses me
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  Speaker 2: how supportive the Darwin community and the Northern Territory community
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  Speaker 2: at large and even places that we send marines around
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  Speaker 2: Australia have been to us being here.
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  Speaker 1: And what kind of work or what kind of training
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  Speaker 1: has been underway fool the Marine. Since I've been in Darwin.
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  Speaker 2: Well, we've had a whole bunch of training events to
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  Speaker 2: take place since we arrived here in March April. We
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  Speaker 2: dove right into some Hamanitarian Assistance disaster relief exercises with
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  Speaker 2: the soldiers of First Brigade. We did some Mbassy Uni
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  Speaker 2: enforcement drills. We did some training with the Brigade and
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  Speaker 2: the Japanese Good Japan Ground Self Defense Force at Mount
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  Speaker 2: Bundy for Exercise Southern Jakaru, which was a great time.
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  Speaker 2: We've had so many training opportunities and we just finished
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  Speaker 2: Exercise Lubai and Kulandong, which was our final activity with
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  Speaker 2: the soldiers of First Brigade, took place in bradshaw Field
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  Speaker 2: Training Area. It's about a month long, very high tempo
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  Speaker 2: lots to do, and we worked through a lot with
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  Speaker 2: First Brigade, ultimately leaning to a very very successful exercise
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  Speaker 2: and a very successful demonstration of how well the Marines,
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  Speaker 2: the sailors of the US Marine Corps and maybe and
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  Speaker 2: the soldiers of the First Brigade can operate.
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  Speaker 1: How important is it do you reckon to have that
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  Speaker 1: training happen as well, and you know, work together with
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  Speaker 1: Australian soldiers and be able to do it here in
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  Speaker 1: the top end.
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  Speaker 2: Well, the top end is some of the best training
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  Speaker 2: you're going to get in the entire world. So just
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  Speaker 2: being here alone is very, very valuable. This exercise that
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  Speaker 2: we did at Couondong was a first opportunity for Marines
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  Speaker 2: of Marine Rotational Force Starwin to work together in a
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  Speaker 2: combined headquarters with the staff of First Brigade and it
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  Speaker 2: was the first time we've ever done that and it
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  Speaker 2: was challenging, but we learned a lot and ultimately all
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  Speaker 2: of the forces that were there operated under essentially a
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  Speaker 2: combined training task force at Exercise Couandong and it was
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  Speaker 2: just really amazing getting to see the leadership opportunities, the
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  Speaker 2: staff challenges, and the soldiers and the Marines working together
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  Speaker 2: in the field to accomplish the same objective.
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  Speaker 1: And you said that it's some of the best training
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  Speaker 1: that we do here, well, up here in DW Why
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  Speaker 1: is that? Is it the weather conditions? Is it the
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  Speaker 1: you know, the people? What is it that makes it
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  Speaker 1: the best?
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  Speaker 2: Well, people are great, absolutely, There's not a lot of
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  Speaker 2: people in Mount Bundy and Bradshaw though, and I think
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  Speaker 2: that's exactly what it is. It's very austere. The weather
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  Speaker 2: can get very unforgiving at times. If you're not prepared,
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  Speaker 2: lines of communication, logistic lines, the ability to get back
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  Speaker 2: to civilization is very difficult. So you need to plan
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  Speaker 2: very fear in advance. But ultimately it leads to better
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  Speaker 2: training because you are preparing yourself better and you are
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  Speaker 2: learning to adapt in austere environments. And we're learning to
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  Speaker 2: do that with Australian counterparts, and we're learning from them
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  Speaker 2: the challenges that they face all the time because they
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  Speaker 2: are permanent residents here.
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  Speaker 1: Of course. Now it's not just the training, though, is
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  Speaker 1: that I know that the Marines actually volunteer at quite
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  Speaker 1: a bit of quite a few local events as well,
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  Speaker 1: don't they.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's been really amazing to see all the events
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  Speaker 2: that we've been able to support, everything from supporting ANZAC
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  Speaker 2: Day and the various military related ceremonies that go on
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  Speaker 2: here in the top end, to various non for profits
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  Speaker 2: around here, animal shelters and food shelters, that sort of thing.
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  Speaker 2: It's been a great opportunity for Marines to not only
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  Speaker 2: get to doing their operational mission and supporting like what
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  Speaker 2: Murphy does, but get to spend some time to improve
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  Speaker 2: the community in which we are living and working.
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  Speaker 1: And so Thomas, what's the process now in terms of
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  Speaker 1: those marines returning home.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, so as we wrap up this rotation here, we
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  Speaker 2: will start sending folks home over the course in the
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  Speaker 2: next few months. As I mentioned, we just finished an exercise.
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  Speaker 2: What we are leading into though, is we really want
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  Speaker 2: to thank the community for all of the support that
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  Speaker 2: they've given us while we've been here, and the support
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  Speaker 2: we hope they continue to give for future rotations. So
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  Speaker 2: this Friday, from three pm to six pm, we want
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  Speaker 2: to hold a essentially a community day for everybody here
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  Speaker 2: in the top End. That will be a display of
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  Speaker 2: equipment and troops from both the Marine Rotational Force Starwin
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  Speaker 2: and the soldiers from first Brigade, and a whole host
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  Speaker 2: of stuff to see equipment, artillery pieces, vehicles, all that
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  Speaker 2: sort of thing.
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  Speaker 1: So, yeah, I was gonna say, what exactly will people
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  Speaker 1: be able to come down and see. I understand that
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  Speaker 1: there's robotic dogs and all sorts of things.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, we'll bring one of those. We had one of
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  Speaker 2: those out of Kuondog. It was the first time I
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  Speaker 2: ever saw that. I can say that when you see that,
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  Speaker 2: if you're seeing it for the first time, you're going
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  Speaker 2: to get a kick of it. That is a brigade
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  Speaker 2: asset I believe they're testing. We're also going to have aircraft,
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  Speaker 2: so we'll be able to fly in an Osprey, a Huey,
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  Speaker 2: a Cobra and an Australian Tiger Attack helicopter. We'll have
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  Speaker 2: a whole bunch of vehicles, everything from our hum v's
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  Speaker 2: to our large fleet recovery vehicles, that sort of thing,
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  Speaker 2: artillery pieces, so an M triple seven howitzer, which is
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  Speaker 2: a piece that both the Australians and the US use,
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  Speaker 2: and then just some sort of crew served weapons displays
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  Speaker 2: and troops out there with some of their various kit
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  Speaker 2: and equipment.
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  Speaker 1: Sounds like it's going to be quite amazing for the
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  Speaker 1: community to actually get up close and personal and see
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  Speaker 1: some of that equipment and some of those aircraft. I
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  Speaker 1: know that I know quite a few people who love, really,
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  Speaker 1: you know, being able to view this type of thing
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  Speaker 1: that you would ordinarily not be able to. And also
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  Speaker 1: the kids, they love getting to see these aircraft, don't they.
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  Speaker 2: Oh, it's a huge pleasure to be able to put
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  Speaker 2: on a show like this. We've had a couple of
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  Speaker 2: successful community events that we've done while we've been here,
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  Speaker 2: one in norm Boy over on the eastern side, and
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  Speaker 2: then one down in Bradshaw. We actually held a static
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  Speaker 2: display of equipment for the folks of Timber Creek, the
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  Speaker 2: traditional owner community there, and every time it's just, you know,
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  Speaker 2: hours of just folks walking around staring at the equipment,
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  Speaker 2: seeing it move around, asking people what it does. And
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  Speaker 2: you're not wrong there the kids get a huge kicker.
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  Speaker 2: Usually the artillery pieces are a big one. Getting to
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  Speaker 2: look at helicopters and things that they've probably never seen
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  Speaker 2: before a big one. And we hope to provide that
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  Speaker 2: same thing for the folks here in the Darwin community.
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  Speaker 1: Fantastic stuff. So if people want to come along, it's
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  Speaker 1: this Friday. Isn't it three till six pm?
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  Speaker 2: Yep, So it's the Friday, the tenth of September. We
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  Speaker 2: will open the front gate of Roberts and Barracks to
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  Speaker 2: the public at three pm. They'll be able to basically
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: just drive in through that front gate. We'll have folks
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  Speaker 2: to park them. There will be rest facilities which they
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  Speaker 2: can use well. We will be providing refreshments light refreshments
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  Speaker 2: for sale, and they'll be able to essentially walk around
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  Speaker 2: the parade ground of Roberts and barracks and observe the equipment,
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  Speaker 2: good stuff.
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  Speaker 1: I think it sounds like it'll be a great thing
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  Speaker 1: to do, and will that be the opportunity as well.
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  Speaker 1: It'll obviously be the opportunity for you guys to say
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  Speaker 1: thanks for being here in the community, but for us,
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  Speaker 1: I guess to say goodbye to some of those Marines
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  Speaker 1: who've been here for a while.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, we'll have some senior and leaders from Murphy and
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  Speaker 2: from the brigade to essentially stand up there towards the
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  Speaker 2: end of the event and give our thanks to the
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  Speaker 2: Darwin community. You know, for some folks it is goodbye,
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  Speaker 2: but for a lot of folks, see you later, because
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  Speaker 2: a lot of people rotate back through here for you know,
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  Speaker 2: future rotations.
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  Speaker 1: Is done always on the wish list for the Marines.
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  Speaker 2: Oh, I had to when I got stationed to OOKI
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  Speaker 2: now I knew this was on the list of rotations
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  Speaker 2: that I could or deployments that I could essentially go on,
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  Speaker 2: and I had my eye on it from the second
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  Speaker 2: I got there. And I'm fortunate to be here.
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  Speaker 1: All good stuff. Why is it such a popular place
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  Speaker 1: for Marines to want to be stationed for a while.
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  Speaker 2: The opportunity to work with the Australians is really unmatched.
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  Speaker 2: I've been fortunate enough to work alongside the ADF soldiers
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  Speaker 2: sailors from the ADF pretty much on every single deployment
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  Speaker 2: I've ever been on with the Marine Corps. It's so
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  Speaker 2: much fun learning from Assie's getting to come down here
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  Speaker 2: and experience the austere and the tough training. It's challenging,
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  Speaker 2: but it is the greatest challenge you'll ever go through.
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  Speaker 1: All good stuff. Well, so great to speak to you
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  Speaker 1: this morning. Thomas Davres, Captain Thomas Davres, the Strategic Communications
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  Speaker 1: Office for Marine Rotational four star and twenty twenty one.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you so much for coming in and having a chat.
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  Speaker 2: Thank you so much for having me no problem.